Challenge: Making learning possible in a constrained environment 

Zimbabwe’s education system faces significant challenges due to economic instability, high inflation, and climate shocks. These conditions have caused teacher shortages in key subjects, and inadequate teacher training and school leader support, meaning many children cannot access quality education. Educators are also often unprepared to address diverse pupil needs and manage increasingly complex classrooms. 

Against this backdrop, there was an urgent need to train teachers and school leaders in better teaching strategies and inclusive practices, as well as ensure the right data was available to improve education. To ensure that improvements could be sustained, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE) also needed reforms to be delivered consistently across the country and embedded within existing structures. 

In response, the TEACH programme was launched by the UK government and was delivered by four partners, each responsible for different areas of the programme: EDT (teacher professional development (TPD)), Think Equal (social and emotional learning), UNICEF Zimbabwe (equitable access to education), and Plan International (supporting adolescent girls’ education).

Solution: Strengthening professional development and modernising inspection

Anchored in providing technical assistance to MoPSE, our support focused on training teachers on how to catch up on or remediate lost learning, using existing ministry frameworks and robust training guides. School leaders also benefitted from competency frameworks and toolkits, helping them to champion, monitor, and evaluate improvements. 

We also helped MoPSE to reshape the country’s school inspection and assessment system. Rather than focusing solely on compliance, inspectors now provide constructive, forward-looking feedback that supports improvements in teaching and learning. We also introduced a modernised inspection approach using a digital platform, enabling real-time data collection and more accurate, timely information. 

We were a principal implementing partner on Think Equal’s social and emotional learning component of the programme, which supported teachers to develop foundational values and competencies in learners that will help them to advance in their education and address societal challenges. These included wellbeing, social justice, and mental health.

Impact: A system capable of sustaining improvements for learners 

The TEACH programme strengthened Zimbabwe’s capacity to deliver teacher development and inspection reform at scale, contributing to impressive improvements in learning outcomes. 

  • Between 2020 and 2025, Grade 7 pass rates rose from 37% to 48.49%. 
  • Ordinary Level performance also showed a historic upward shift, rising from 29.4% in 2023 to 35% in 2025, the highest achievement since Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980. 
  • Between 2024 and 2025, the number of schools with a 0% pass rate had reduced from 84 to just 18. 

The revised inspection framework and new digital platform were rolled out across all ten provinces of Zimbabwe. A total of 777 school inspectors were trained on the new approach, and regular reflection meetings that focus on improved teaching and learning are now routine. 

Overall, TEACH improved education for 1 million learners across Zimbabwe.